Dry shaver



Oct. 12, 1943. R G. AREY 2,331,646

DRY SHAVER Filed July 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNY.$

Oct. 12, 1943. ARE-Y v 7 2,331,646

DRY SHAVER I Filed July 24, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 llll Patented Oct. 12, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRY SHAVER Ralph GrA rey, Swampscott, Mas s. Application July 24, 1941, Serial N0. 403,817 11, Claims. (01; 30-43) The inventionrelates'to dr'y shavers of the type in which a perforated shield is rolled on the skin, and whiskers projecting through the perforationsare'cut off by a razor blade coacting with the inner'face of the shield.- The object is to improve the shaving action, and the durability and convenience of use of such devices in the several respects herein set 'forth. The invention comprehends features of design and organization of the blade itself, and its mounting and provisions for its quick and easy replacementwhen dull from use, all of such features being capable of application severally or jointly to shavers of blade removal, and Figs. and 11 aresimilar.

viewsof another form. v

The shaver as shown in Figs. 1 to .7, comprises a bow frame I supporting inits arms, in circular apertures therein a cross-structure 2 herein called the core which is appropriately shouldered to fit the apertures and forms the supportupon which the shield 3, loosely mounted thereon, rotates'as it is rolled on the skin, and upon which the razor blade is carried within the shield. The frame is dimensioned to telescope frictionally into a box-like casing 4, as shown in Fig. 1'. The casing serves as a handle for the shaver and also as the housing for the frameand its'parts when they are entered therein in the reverse direction, in which condition the base of the frame'closes the casing, this general organize-j tion being in accordance with my prior application, Ser. No. 354,361, filed August2'7, 1940.

The core 2 is generally cylindrical in contour as indicated in Fig. 2 to form a support or backing for the thin and flexible shield 3 and is cir cumferentially grooved to provide clearance andand shield are more or less separate or free of shearing pressure.

The razor blade is a section of steel strip and can be exactly fiat if desired but is preferably longitudinally corrugated or offset along its central axis, as indicated in Fig. 4, which section has special advantage in shavers of this type because of the greater stifiness and the clearance provided by the ofiset: The" blade is doubleedged, which is to say, sharpened on both edges,

and I have found that sharpening itrwith a convex edge, instead of the'usual c0ncaveor straight-ground edge, gives a noticeably superior and the corners then curleddownward as shown.

at 8 (Fig. 5) but the endsof the, blade can be otherwise contoured so as to fit the core support onjw'hich it rests. It should in any event have itis thus held flatwise against the inner face ofv the shield. In use the shield is pressed against ihe blade. thereby establishing the appropriate shearing relation, but at other times the blade a reasonably snug fit on the top of the rib. 6.

The blade can be tempered after being shaped as above described, or it .can be hardened first and thereafter given. the requisite shape, being.

in either case a one-piece blade removably seated on the rib within the shield.

In the case in hand theblade 5 is held against j endwise displacement by the top portions Ia or frame and bring it in line with an ejector notch lb cut in the lower side of the ,frame aperture, as in Fig. 6, thereby permitting the blade to be moved endwise from the rib through this notch- For this purpose one or both ends of the core is for-med passage, as indicated in dotted lines.

with a cross-slot 9 to take a coin or the like tool for turning it. The core is held in its normal position by'means of one or more detents, such as indicated at I0 struck up in the metal of the frame arms so as to snap into the cross-slot 9 when the core has been rotated to registering position. Thus by merely rotating the core ahalf-turn in the frame arms the bladecan be registered with the ejection slot and re'moved',. and a new one inserted in its place, after which the rotation of the core to its normal position (Fig. 2) brings the new blade to its working position, in which it is held by the'detents.

In the modified form of Figs. 8 and 9 blade removal is accomplished by providing a removable support for one end of the core 2, indicated as a spring finger l2 engaging a shoulder l3 on the end of the core. By withdrawing this finger the core and shield are allowed to drop, to a limited extent, within its aperture I4 in'the frame arm, thereby lowering the rib Ii so that the end of the blade is lowered out of juxtaposition to the top part la. of the arm and may thus be endwise removed as indicated by the dotted lines. On introducing a new blade upon the top of the rib and pressing the core upwardly the shoulder I3 snaps over the spring support 12 and the device is again ready for use. Thus instead of rotating the blade to, bring it to removal position it is in this case moved vertically downward at one end.

In Figs. 10 and 11 a somewhat similar arrangement is provided, in which the core {is immovably fixed in the frame arms and the top part of one of sucharms, marked la in the other figures, is cut away, to expose the end of the core at its top side. The blade is normally confined in place by means of a gate l5, which takes the place of the part la and which is hinged by its lower, square-sectioned limb under a spring finger l6 normally holding it in the position shown in full lines in Fig. 10. By pulling the gate open, dotted lines. the blade is exposed and can he slid off of the rib as indicated in dotted lines. The squared section of the hinge holds the gate resiliently in both its positions.

It is pointed out that in each case one end of the top side of the core structure and shield is exposed by an easy manipulation, quickly per formed, and that by virtue of the normal clearance between the shield and blade the latter can be dropped out and a new one substituted without dragging the harp edges of the latter on the should so as to nick or dull them, also that the convex-ground edges are least likely to be injured by any such contact in any event; and further, that the specific manner of exposing the parts for this purpose is subject to considerable variation of design, as already indicated, the most practical method being to have the blade removable endwise through the same aperture in the frame arm as supports the core, but no limitation is intended in respect to the construction of the latter nor to the method of shield mounting whereby it is made freely rotatable when being rolled on the skin.

I claim:

l. A dry shaver of the type including a rotary reticulate shield and interior normally fixed razor blade, the combination with a blade support about which the shield rotates and a onepiece blade having portions formed integral therewith for removably holding it on said support in flatwise relation to the inner face of said shield and removable therefrom without dismantling the other parts.

2. In a dry shaver of the type specified in the preceding claim the combination with a blade support, of a razor blade thereon formed with bent end portions whereby it fits with and is held upon such support.

3. In a dry shaver of the kind specified in claim 1 the combination of a blade support in the form of a rib, a razor blade having bent corner lugs whereby it embraces such rib, being endwise movable along the same.

4. In a dry shaver of the type specified in claim I l the combination of a blade support and a razor blade thereon having both edges convex-ground and both offset from the longitudinal central plane of the blade, and both adapted for shearing contact with the rotary shield.

5. In a dry shaver of the kind having a rotary shield and interior normally fixed razor blade, said blade being double-edged and supported fiatwise against the inner face of the shield and both of its edges being convex-ground for contact with such face.

6. In a dry shaver of the kind having a rotary shield and interior stationary blade, a blade having two convex-ground cutting edges offset from the longitudinal central plane of the blade and both adapted for contact with the inner face of such shield.

7. In a dry shaver of the type including a rotary shield and an interior normally fixed blade. of means for supporting said blade and on which it is endwise movable and means operable without dismantling the device for exposing the end of said support and blade to facilitate endwise withdrawal of the blade through the end of the shield.

8. In a dry shaver of the kind including a rotary shield and interior normally fixed blade, the combination of means for supporting the shield free from normal shearing pressure on the blade and means for exposing the end of the blade for endwise removal through the end of the shield.

9. In a dry shaver of the kind including a rotary shield and interior fixed blade, the combination of the razor blade, a core structure adapted for supporting it in shearing relation to the shield and a gate normally confining the blade on said structure, adapted to be opened to facilitate endwise removal of the blade through the end of the shield.

10. In a dry shaver of the kind including a rotary shield and a normally fixed blade in shearing relation thereto, the combination of a blade support for holding the blade in such relation.

' and a frame in which such support is mounted and in which it is movable without dismantling the device for exposing the end of the blade to facilitate endwise removal thereof.

11. In a dry shaver of the kind including a rotary shield and a relatively fixed blade, the combination of a frame and a blade support rotatably mounted therein and provided with means for holding it in and against unintended movement from its shaving position.

12. The combination of claim 11 in which said movement exposes the blade support so that a blade thereon may be removed.

13. The combination of claim 11 in which the blade support is rotatably mounted in apertures of the frame and provided with a tool-receiving slot in the portion journalled in such aperture, for rotating such support to different positions. one of which positions exposes the end of the blade support for removal of a blade thereon.

14. The combination of claim 11 in which the blade support includes a rib and the blade is shaped to fit'and slide endwise on said rib and in which the end of said rib, and of a blade thereon, is exposed in one of said rotary positions to permit removal of the blade by sliding it oh of the rib.

15. A dry shaver including a rotary reticulate shield adapted to be rolled on the skin, an interior normally fixed razor blade having a convex-ground edge, and supporting means for said shield and blade holding the latter free of any substantial pressure against the former when not in use, said shield having a bearing against said convex edge when used for shaving.

16. A dry shaver including a rotary reticulate shield adapted to be rolled over the skin, an interior normally fixed razor blade normally tree of shearing pressure against such shield but adapted to have pressure contact therewith during shaving, a support for said blade on which it is endwise movable. a frame in which said support is rotatably'mountedwith one end of said support exposed through the end of said frame,

said support being channeled to provide a hair escape through the frame and provided with means whereby it may be rotated from shaving position in said frame for the removal oi the blade.

17. A dry shaver including a rotary reticulate shield adapted to be rolled on the skin, an interior normally fixed strip-form razor-blade having a convex-ground edge and supporting means for said shield and razor-blade holding the latter with the convex side of its edge in shearing com tact with the inner surface or said rotary shield.

RALPH G. AREY. 

